Battery cable terminal covers have been used in vehicles for many years to protect the battery cable terminal and battery post from water, dirt, salt, and other contaminants in the engine compartment. Battery cable terminal covers also protect the battery cable terminal and battery post from accidental electrical shorting.
Known covers are manufactured from materials such as rubber and plastic. Some covers protect only the top and sides of the battery cable terminal; i.e., they do not completely surround the terminal and are easily stretched and deformed, causing the cover to loosen and reduce its ability to protect the terminal. Thus, water, dirt and other contaminants can reach the terminal by traveling between the cover and the top of the battery. Also, the covers do not securely attach to the terminal and can become separated from the terminal due to vibration and inertial forces such as acceleration and deceleration. A loose or separated cover does not adequately protect the terminal from contaminants in the engine compartment and increases the possibility of electrical shorting.
Many known covers are attached to the battery post and held in place by the battery cable terminal. Therefore, these covers are installed during installation of the battery into the vehicle. The covers cannot be attached to the battery cable terminal at some earlier time; e.g., during construction of the battery cable wiring harness, and, therefore, do not protect the terminal during shippment and installation.
Another prior art cover comprises hinged top and bottom sections which are connected by an integral pivot. The bottom section is adapted to receive and be secured to a split-ring cable terminal of the stamped, flanged type by urging the flanged terminal forward into a curved retention channel and then closing the top cover section over the bottom section. The cover also provides a large opening to allow the battery cable to enter the cover. The opening is substantially larger than the battery cable, leaving an area for dirt, water and other contaminants to enter the cover. Additionally, the cover does not have any mechanism to prevent overtightening of the split-ring terminal bolt, which can deform the terminal and reduce its ability to grasp the battery post.